Device for measuring cubic capacity of shoes



E. J. BLISS DEVICE FOR MEASURING CUBIC CAPACITY OF SHOES Filed Aug. 5l, 1929 l I su N N NN @QN Patented Aug. 23, 1932 PATENfrfffon-g 4satiniert. Blass, or, vBosToiv, .MAssAC'HUsETTs ASSIGNOR `To REGArfsIaol COMPANY,

oEwHrTMAN, MAssACHUsETTa'A CoRron-ATTONCT MASSACHUSETTS ...DEVICE Toa MEASURING CUBIC CAPACTTY or YsHors,1

Appncaaonniu Augpstfnleze. serial No. essere,

This invention relates tothe measurement fof shoesand isintendedto-provide a device bymeans of which the cubicalcontent'of the "orepart of a shoe may be accurately asceri 5 tained, both forithe purpose of determining fwlietherV the forepart or" any given shoe has (a .correct 'internal capacity or foot-receiving space'and alsoas an. aid to the correct designing'of lasts for the making of shoes. VleV llViththese objects in view the invention comprises essentially a skeleton :trame o if' definite `andknown sizeprovidedv with an elastic' wallof material that'is imperviousto water, which forms a sac or pouch conforming normally to the shape of a shoe Vforepart and capable, when inserted in a shoeto-be tested, of being'expanded. by the pressureV of-liquid 'introduced therein into close contact `with the surrounding'portion"of the shoe upper. ,The `volume of liquid, which the expandedl or eX- tended foot form is capable of receiving, will Vmeasure the cubic content of that part of the shoe. This and other fea-tures of the invention -will beeXplained in the following speci.- ,iication and will be dened in the claims hereto annexed. A Y f Inthe accompanying drawin, ;lA have illustrated Val simple and convenient form of construction` andi-arrangement `embodying the principles of this invention, in which Fig. 1 -is a longitudinal vertical section showing the eXpansible footform and its associated appliances. l i d Fig. 2 is a plan view of the samethe Vheel block being omitted. Y Y 4 5 ln the practice oi' this invention according to the form illustrated in the drawing, IL provide a front member or toe block 2 adapted to occupy `the contracted toe portion of a shoe Yat a definite lsize distance from the `heel of the shoe and from the ball location thereof.

" The rear Vmember of the4 skeleton frame comprises a transverse wall 'block l whichis Shaped and dimensioned to iit into the trans- 4verse plane of a standard 'shoe `of given len'gtlrsiZe and having the' narrowest width in which such length-sizes are lusuallymade. lhe front'andrear members are rigidly seeuredtogether by means of a bar 3 provided with a front-attaching flange 2a and a rearattaching flange ll? spaced tlieproper distance apartto bringthe toe blockand the rear wall into proper spaced relation for a shoe of pre-`f determined size length. .The toe block iillfs outwhat'is known as the extension space, that 55 i is, that portion of the toe of a shoe that eX- tends beyond the tip ofthetoeof a footfor whichV the kshoe is designed. n

.The distensible wall of the measuring devicecomprises a sheet 8501i' elastic material, o0 such as rubber, that is`inipervious to .waterl and which is Ashaped tofconform normally, when not under internal pressure, to the inlterior'cdntours of a shoe of given length havi ingthe narrowest standardized width. Preferably the forward member, or toe block, 2'is inserted inside this elastic foot form or pouch 'and an encircling band8b Vis tightly passed around theI periphery near the rear edge of... said: block to act as ananchoragefer binding" the elastic` sheet securely around this portion of the block and also to protect this .portion of the elastic sheet from undue rubbing against the corresponding partof the shoe when it is inserted therein. Y I

The rear end of the elastic pouch or Jfoot form 8 is drawn over the periphery 'of the rear member l and is tightly securedy thereto by an encircling band 8a. l

As it is important that the measuring device shall have a predetermined. length corresponding. to a definite length-size of lshoe so that the rear member willbe positioned a deiinite :distance from the heell or counter of thev shoe, IV provide two toggle levers 10 and l2 connected together by a pivotalbolt llglthe lforward member 1.0 of Vwhich vis secured to a bail-like extension 12 whose arms vare pivotally connected with angle brackets 13 secured to the rear Yend ofthe framemember 1. A heel block 14 is secured to the rear end of the rear toggle 12'to torm an abutment n againstthe inside of the counter or heel portion of the shoe. VThe device may be adapted 9 for' more than one length of shoe by providing a plurality of pivot holes 11a to form an adjustable connection between the two toggle elements.. Ath'umb'piece 10a, formed by a transversely bent lug on the link 10, serves as a convenient vmeans for pressing down the toggle links to normal extension, position. l

To introduce liquid into the hollow foot y form or measuring chamber there is provided an inlet passage 3a which, in Ythis case, is formed bylboring out the rear .end portion of the frame barV 3 and providing that bore with anlinlet port 3b through'which liquid able valve 7 which hasfa nippled connection 6a with a hose 6P which supplies liquidun ,der a definite known pressure tothe interior of .the hollow foot form, thereby causing the (elastic wall .8 to ybe distendeduntil .it completely fills out `the forepart ofthe shoe, that is,` the .portion included between the rear of the toe block'zand'thefront wall of the rear VV,member l.. Tofprevent leakage lof liquid,

as well as'to'secure the rear wall'rigidly to the ba-r 3 which forms the backbone of the frame, a clamping'nut 5 is placed on the end of thenipplemember Swwith an interposed gasket.. To allowpthe escape of'air from the interior of the foot form while theflliquid is l ling a hollow, peripherally expansible, liquid measuring chamber of predetermined fixed.

beingV introduced, Va vent openingV is provided in the'upper portion ofthi's wall normally closed by a sealing plug or, valve 9. f

Let us suppose that it is desire-d to testthe cubical contentsof a No. 7 shoe. The appro- .priatelength of foot form will be'inserted inthe shoe and pushed forward straightiening the toggle, which-will result' in 'locating the rear .member l a definite distance fromV the Vrear of theVv ball orvwidest portion of the shoe. rIfhe vent orifice plug 9 is removed,"the valve 7 isopened and the liquid is allowedto flow in under pressure to completely fill and .expand the hollow foot form. .As soon as water begins to issue from the vent orifice that is closed byVV insertion of the 'plug and the liquidunder pressure serves to Y expand the distensiblewall 8 into full con- (ifi tact lwith theinterior ofthe forepart. The valve7 is lthen'closed andthe device is removed Afrom the shoe'. Thereafter by withdrawing they 4vent plug the valve may be turned to discharge the water `from the'measuringy chamber and thel water, thus discharged, can be measured.V in .aY graduated glass. or mayy be .weighed yto determine ex- ,Aactly the volume of liquid-,that was .introduced into the. foot formY to cause it toy completely vfill the forepart. y Y

course, i" the calculation the displacement of the rod 3, as wellfas the-thickness of the Aelastic wall, willbe taken into account, but asthese wou-ld have known bulk when the device was made their. known" capacity added to; the volume of liquid withdrawn would give 'with practical precisionna vol? in its construction, a toe; piece adapted to fitNo ytance from the heel.

urne measurement of the forepart of the shoe being tested.

What I claim is:

1'. A device for measuring the cubic ca- Vthe forepart of a shoe, Vand a .wall ofvelastic material secured around said frame -to form a .hol'low-V expansible. chamber capable Yof, .eX-

panding into conformity with thesurrounding portion of the shoe, and means for intro@ ducing aliquid therein -to'expand the elastic wall againstfthe confining'portion lof the shoe.` f

.2. A device for measuringthe rforepart capacity of a shoe embracing in its construe` .tion .a measuring chamber comprising fixedly related front and rearwallsand aperipheral wall of elastic material secured to said front andrear walls and conforming approximatelyl in contour to the interior of the forepart f of a shoe, the rear wall being provided with l .a valve inlet for the introduction of .liquid under. pressurev whereby the peripheral elasticI wall maybe expanded into conformity `with the surrounding portion of the shoe.. f

3. A device of the class described embrace length, means for introducing.` liquid under pressure into said chamber toexpand its pecripheral portion into conformitywith theim to the vrear wall of said chamber in orderito locate the rear wall at apredeterminedV dis- 4.- Adeviceof the class described embracing a hollow chamber of fixed length having a peripheral wall of distensible material, positioningmeans secured t0 the reary portion of said chamber and embracing pivotallycon-- nected toggle links, the rear one of which is provided witha heel-engaging member Vwhich Y acts to position the hollow chamber in the shoe when the toggle links are in extended position, andV means forrintr'oducing a measurable quantity of liquid under'pressure to the interior of'said chamber.

. 5. lIn a device of the class described, a hol# i low foot form embracing front and rearmembers and aninterior connecting bar Vfor securingthem together' a predetermined distance apart, an elastic peripheral wall conf necting said two members to form a closed distensible chamber, said barbeing provided with an `inlet passage for supplying liquid thereto .under pressure, the rear member being is provided y into the tip of the toe of a shoe, a transverse rear Wall conforming approximately to the cross sectional contourof the shoe at the rear of the ball portion, means for securing the toe piece and the rear Wall in fixed spaced relation, an elastic peripheral Wall Whose front and rear end portions are tightly secured to p the toe piece and the rear Wall to form a chamber conforming approximately to that portion of the interior of the shoe that subtends the space between said toe rpiece and rear Wall7 and means for introducing a measurable quantity of liquid into the measuring chamber according to the permissible distention of the elastic Wall by the liquid to ascertain the cubic capacity of said chamber When the elastic Wall is in contactrwith the subtending portion of the shoe.

In Witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

ELMER J. BLISS. 

